


Cadence

by PorcelainBlue



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M, Rating May Change, argh how do you even summarise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-26 03:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1673783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainBlue/pseuds/PorcelainBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Modern AU where Vampires exist. </p><p>Eren's not really a bloodsucking enthusiast - he can't really see the point of letting a complete stranger drink his blood, no matter how many people say it's a great experience. He's curious, though, and ends up in a Vampire club, where he is mistaken for a willing blood-donor. </p><p>He meets Levi there, and while he's still not a bloodsucking enthusiast.... he might have a thing for a certain vampire, now.</p><p>[ ON INDEFINITE HIATUS ] Guys, I'm really, really sorry, after promising that I wouldn't leave this story. So many things have happened since. My laptop died on me, taking a lot of my drafts of this story. A lot of things happened IRL. I've grown a lot as as person. When I look back at Cadence I have major problems with how I plotted and wrote the story, and I don't think I will be able to keep my promises to finish this. I'm so sorry, and thank you so much for reading them. I am still active on tumblr writing drabbles, but with school picking up I won't be able to be as active as I once was. Thank you for understanding. Love, PorcelainBlue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Misterioso

 

The music wasn't as loud as he had expected. More tasteful compared to other clubs, Eren thought as he made his way to the bar. The _Flügel der Freiheit_ was apparently the best establishment on this side of town that catered to vampires and bloodsucking enthusiasts, somewhere Vampires could mingle with willing blood-donors.

 The popularity of bloodsucking in certain circles was a recent one, and only in the past few years did Eren notice people being more open about their vampirism or their penchant for getting their blood sucked out by total strangers. Getting bitten, apparently, produced a massive endorphin kick that usually left the recipient sated and highly aroused, often resulting in one-night stands.  It wasn’t really a surprise that establishments started to appear to cater to those on both sides of the fence.

Eren wasn’t really an enthusiast - he’d never been bitten before, so he couldn’t say he liked it - honestly it just didn't sound very appealing to him, despite multiple assurances that it was an amazing experience. That being said, he was very curious, and so decided to come here to have a look and maybe sate his curiosity. 

 The brunette looked up, hoping to catch the eye of the bartender, only to widen his eyes in recognition. 

“Annie?” he blurted out. The blonde girl behind the bar counter looked over, eyebrow lifting minutely.

“Eren,” she greeted, “Didn’t know you were into all this.” 

Eren flushed, a little embarrassed as he replied, “I’m new here - just curious. I didn’t know you worked here! Are you…?” He trailed off, not sure how to inquire whether Annie herself was into ‘all this’ without being rude. Annie looked at him impassively for a moment before leaning closer so that her back was to the other patrons. She opened her mouth a little, and Eren watched, transfixed as two wickedly sharp points extended from her canine teeth. She snorted a little at Eren’s gaping, tucking her hair back behind her ear as she prepared another drink. 

“Wow,” was all Eren could say, “I didn’t know.” 

“It’s not exactly common knowledge,” Annie said, “I’d like to keep it that way. Most of us do.” Eren nodded his understanding of her unspoken request, and ordered a drink for himself. When Annie slid his drink over to him, she spoke again.

“If you’re interested, you should try the back rooms. There’s another lounge, just follow the stairs over there.” Eren blinked and nodded, glad to be away from the crowd on the dance floor. He didn’t put much thought into the uncharacteristically mischievous glint in Annie’s eyes, sliding a tip over the counter as he grinned and bid her goodnight.

 

* * *

 

The lounge at the back was substantially quieter, and Eren took a moment to appreciate the relative silence and lack of people. The setting was intimate - There was another bar on the side, and multiple booths and low, leather couches provided space for the few mingling patrons. There was a corridor on the side, flanked by two unobtrusive staff members. Peering round the corner, he saw that it led to a few rooms, all with closed doors, elegant cursive numbers etched into the dark wood.

Once he stepped over the last step and entered the area, Eren noticed a blinking light in his peripheral vision. It was the tag on his wrist - a blood tag given to humans upon entry into the place, it identified blood type, and if necessary, any other blood-related information. The thin band on his wrist had started flashing, and the small screen bore the words, “Back Lounge Entered” in small, pixel letters. ‘ _Must be some tracking thing_ ,’ Eren thought as he wandered further in, nursing his drink and looking around at the paintings on the walls. He spent about five minutes internally gushing at a rare art print on the wall when his tag started flashing again. 

Lifting his wrist up in confusion, he saw that the screen display had changed. The scrolling text read “Please proceed to Room 34” on a repeating loop. Eren had no idea what was going on, deciding to instead ask somebody. Approaching one of the staff members by the corridor, he lifted his wrist to show his flashing tag, opening his mouth to speak.

“Uh, excuse me, this just showed up on my tag,” he began, unsure.

The staff member leaned down to look at his tag, before nodding and gesturing into the corridor. 

“Of course, sir. Room 34 is this way, down on the left,” he said.

“Please, have a pleasant evening.”, leaving Eren in front of the door 34. 

  
Eren blinked as he was left alone, huffing a little in exasperation. What had Annie meant when she asked him to come here? He could hear some people talking beyond the door, so maybe it was somewhere for newcomers to mingle, he supposed. He hesitated, before knocking twice on the hard wood. 

Before he knew it, the door to Room 34 was thrown open, and he was yanked in by a brunette enthusiastically.  

“He’s here!” they squealed, pulling him into the room and shutting the door behind them. Eren stumbled a bit before looking at his captor - who was grinning wildly, brown hair thrown into disarray despite the ponytail holding it up. They were wearing a yellow button down shirt and a pair of dark jeans, but both their features and attire were androgynous. Eren cast his eyes around the room, noticing two other people, before he was jerked around again, who was looking at him intensely behind their glasses. 

“Oooh, aren’t you a cute one,” they remarked, “I’m Hanji, nice to meet you!” Hanji grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically. Eren flushed a little under the scrutiny, and replied, “Hi Hanji, I’m Eren. Nice to meet you!” he looked around shyly, noting the other two occupants of the room looking at him appraisingly. 

“The small grumpy one over there is Levi, and the blondie is Erwin.” The two men nodded at him, expressions neutral, and Eren wondered why they seemed so detached compared to Hanji.

Hanji sat him down on the couch, and he was settling into the comfortable seat when he noticed something cold on his neck. He nearly squeaked in surprise when he realised that Hanji’s hands were on his neck and bringing him close, their head lowering to tilt into the side of his neck. When Hanji leant in to lick at Eren's neck, Eren froze, jerking away hastily, face flushing red. "What are you doing?" He asked warily. 

 

Everyone in the room paused. 

 

Hanji cocked their head and said, confused,"I'm preparing to take your blood, of course. Isn’t that what you’re here for?” 

Eren gaped, stuttering, “W-what? No! I mean, what why?” 

Hanji looked confused as well, opening their mouth to speak but Levi took the chance to cut in.

“Hanji. Look at the kid.” he said. Hanji turned to stare at Eren, who was a little unnerved by it, considering that they had just been about to sink their teeth into his neck.

“There’s not a single mark on him. No bruises, either. Not on his neck, not on his wrist.” Levi said, “He’s obviously a newbie, the idiot must have wandered in by mistake.” 

 Eren wanted to protest against the insult, but the man had literally just saved his neck, because Hanji nodded and scooted a little way back, and started to explain.

 

“Well, Eren,” they began, “The back rooms and lounge specifically cater to people who want to willingly offer their blood. Vampires are able to book rooms and hang out here, and we can call for donors if we feel like it. For example, just now I called for a type O donor, and you must have been the only one around in the lounge - the tag activates only within this area - so you were sent here!”

He flushed. “S-Sorry. I met someone here and they told me to ‘try the back rooms’ so I came in here then the thing started flashing and when I asked somebody they brought me to this room…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause an inconvenience.” Eren moved to stand up, but Hanji had grabbed his arm and pulled him back down on to the couch, laughing a little bit hysterically. They ruffled his hair, ignoring his flinch. 

 

“Look he’s so cute! The poor thing. Levi, can we keep him? I know blood type O is your favourite as well!” 

 Levi’s eye twitched, pausing a bit before he replied, “Do what you want. It’s better than watching you get blood on the upholstery, anyways.”

Hanji turned to the other blonde occupant. “Erwin?” they pleaded.

 

Erwin smiled pleasantly at Eren, who felt a little reassured by his presence. The man’s entire demeanour practically radiates righteousness. “Well, Eren, if you’re new to this, do you have any questions? Maybe we can get you better acquainted with everything - I imagine it must be hard to know where to start, and Hanji’s already so attached to you.”

Hanji looked at him excitedly, and Eren decided that since two out of three in the room seemed friendly enough, he may as well get some information out of tonight’s misunderstanding.

 

* * *

 

“So, Eren, how old are you?” Hanji began, nibbling on some chips and offering the bowl to Eren. He accepted one before replying. “I’m 22. How about you guys?” 

“I’m pretty young, about 120? I think Levi’s been around since the 18th Century though, that’s why he still dresses like that,” answered Hanji genially, gesturing at Levi’s cravat. Eren choked on his chip, sputtering a little. 

“Seriously? Immortality isn’t just a myth?” 

Erwin chuckled before chiming in, “No, it isn’t. We stop ageing once we’ve turned, so physical appearance can be rather misleading. I’m the same as Levi, around 18th century as well.” 

The conversation continued surprisingly easily, Eren getting to know each of them and vice versa. They asked him about his life, so he revealed that he’d just graduated from Art School and was hoping to do freelance illustration full time. He learnt that Hanji was a lecturer at a nearby University, as well as a rather prolific researcher in Vampire-related fields. ' _That suits Hanji to a T."_ Eren thought, considering the bespectacled Vampire's almost manic enthusiasm. Erwin worked in finance, but dabbled around in different fields on the side. Eren wasn't really surprised - there was a sharp calculating intelligence behind those blue eyes, and he absently thought that Erwin would make a good public figure, if there wasn't such a social stigma associated with Vampires in this world. The two of them exchanged banter easily, but Levi opted to keep quiet, nursing his glass of blood and glancing off to the side periodically.

Eren looked over at Levi hesitantly, admiring the man's sharp features and distinguished appearance. The man was sitting with his legs crossed and arm thrown carelessly over the side of the chair, his white shirt impeccably starched, and his cravat pristine as the rest of him. Despite his height (apparent even when seated), the vampire looked  _strong_ , and Eren tried to tamp down the flare of interest at the back of his mind. Eren must have been staring a little too long, though, because soon enough Levi was looking back at him, an eyebrow arched in question.

 

“What, kid?” he asked, his tone level and void of inflection. 

“Ah, uh. I was just wondering what you do..?” Eren ventured. Hanji and Erwin fell silent behind him and were watching the proceedings interestedly.  

“Tch. I work from home.” was all Levi said before he got up and left the room. 

Eren turned back to Hanji and Erwin, both of whom were trying not to show too much amusement on their faces. “What did I do? Did I piss him off or something?” He asked worriedly. 

After multiple assurances that Levi was just naturally taciturn and had no heart (according to Hanji), Eren relaxed a little, only to jerk back into awareness when Levi re-entered the room, bearing drinks. He set two glasses of blood down, one in front of Erwin and one in front of Hanji, and then placed a milkshake on the table in front of Eren before settling back into his seat. 

Erwin thanked Levi graciously, and Eren looked up a little confusedly. Levi looked back at him for a moment before sighing as though disappointed that Eren couldn’t simply mind-read his intentions. 

“It’s been a couple of hours, I thought you might be hungry like Hanji since that maniac didn’t get to feed off you. It’s just a milkshake, kid. Drink it or don’t.”  

Eren grinned instead, thanking Levi and taking the glass for his own, thankful for the beverage. The movement seemed to appease Levi, as he spent the rest of the evening looking less mildly irritated. The conversation continued, Hanji’s antics and Levi’s sarcastic insults continuing late into the night. The three vampires, for all their centuries of age, seemed interested in Eren’s life, his struggles with his student loans and mundane day-to-day activities. 

 

* * *

 

They parted ways when it was getting a little too late, Eren saying his goodbyes behind barely-stifled yawns. He thanked them for letting him stay without his blood, but no one really seemed to mind - Hanji joking that Eren’s youth and cuteness had brought their lighter moods out, even Levi’s. The bespectacled vampire asked for Eren’s number to keep in touch, and he grinned and agreed readily. It was a chance meeting, and despite his reservations about Annie sort-of pranking him (‘ _Who knew she had it in her_ ’, he thought rebelliously.), at least two out of the three vampires he met that day were pretty fun to hang around with.  

It was only when Eren was about to brush his teeth that he remembered the taste of a vanilla hazelnut milkshake from earlier, and Levi's unexpected kindness. He grinned to himself. _‘Nah, all three of them are pretty cool,”_ he thought as he prepared for bed. 


	2. Poco Più Mosso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren goes to a book signing of Rivaille, his favourite author. It turns out to be the pen name for none other than Levi, who is intrigued by the fanart that Eren has painted of his book series.

 

Eren was sprawled on his bed, doodling, when a chime from his laptop alerted him to a message from his best friend, Armin. Shifting a little to pull his laptop closer to him he peered at the message.

 

**Armin_Arlert:** Eren! That author you like is doing a book signing in Trost! Here’s the link: _www.freedomwingpublishing.com.tr/LeventeRivaille_Trostlaunch/signing_

 

**Eren_Jaeger:** Holy shit!!1 Are you serious? Thanks for the link! I don’t believe it - he’s never really made a public appearance before!!? Not that I’m complaining I loved ‘The Titan War’ series. Hnghhhh ARMIN WILL YOU GO WITH ME? 

 

**Armin_Arlert:** Hahah no problem. Sorry though - I’ve got a paper due. :/ I don’t think I can go with you. Though that might not be a bad thing - I’ll be spared your fanboying. Anyways, I’ve got to go - let me know how it was if you go! You should bring one of your fanarts for him to sign, Eren. See you later!

 

_Armin_Arlert_ _is now offline._

 

Eren huffed a little at Armin’s last message, clicking the opened tab of Freedom Wing Publishing. Sure enough, Eren’s favourite author was doing a book signing at the Trost branch of Sina&Rose Books in two days. Levente Rivaille was one of his favourite authors - he had grown up reading his books and poetry (though the latter was only after his high school literature teacher had taught him to appreciate poetry) Eren had searched high and low for any information regarding him, but all he got from the internets and _About the Author_ sections were that he was male, French, and liked tea. He hesitated a bit, before deciding to go with Armin’s suggestion of asking the author to sign one of his fan works. Picking through his artwork folder, he found the illustration he was looking for. 

 

It was one of his favourite pieces, out of his various sketches and paintings inspired by _The Titan Wars._ This one was titled ‘The Fall of Wall Maria’, featuring the hulking silhouette towering over a crumbling, broken wall. He’d taken some liberties with the design of the Titans, seeing as there were no illustrations in the books - even the book covers were plain and simple, leaving no clues to the image in the author’s head. 

 

* * *

 

 

Two days later, Eren found himself waiting in anticipation at Sina&Rose Books, chatting amiably to a few other fans he’d met while waiting in line. He was insanely excited to meet his favourite author, and carefully arranged his illustration (freshly printed!) in his hands so as not to crumple it. The murmurs of the crowd ceased when a strangely familiar voice sounded out from theraised platform at the front of the bookstore.

 

“Yahoo! Good afternoon everyone, thank you very much for coming! Welcome to the first signing and official appearance of Levente Rivaille!!” 

 

Eren peered around the applauding crowd blocking his view, surprised when he saw a familiar bespectacled vampire grinning from the platform, holding a microphone. 

 

“My name is Hanji, and I’m here to make sure everything goes smoothly. Today we are launching _The Ocean Calls Us Home_ , Levente’s latest anthology. Do note that there is an offer at Sina&Rose if you purchase it with any of his other works today. Please also respect the author’s wishes for privacy and refrain from taking photographs of him. And that’s it! Let’s get started!!” 

 

Hanji hopped down from the platform and started ushering the crowd to form a line to meet the author. Due to the crowd, Eren was unable to see the author, who must have been seated at the platform in front. Sighing to himself, he resigned himself to waiting until the crowd had dispersed a bit. 

 

“Eren!” Hanji’s voice called. Eren turned around to see them waving at him as they made their way over, “What are you doing here! Are you a fan?” Eren nodded and laughed, sheepish.

 

“Yeah, he’s my favourite author! What about you? I thought you were a researcher or something, what are you doing here?”he asked. 

 

Hanji blinked at him before laughing and replying, “Ah, yes, I’m a friend of the author, actually. In fact it was me who went behind his back and told his editor that he’d agreed to do a book signing.” Hanji cackled again, far more amused than Eren thought there was need to be.

 

“I have you to thank, then - I’m really excited to meet him!” Eren said, grinning. Hanji laughed and nodded, a strange look in their eyes before they said they’d catch up with him later and rushed off when a member of the bookstore staff called them over.

 

Eren turned his attention back to the queue - he was next in line to meet his favourite author! When the person in front of him said their thanks and goodbyes, he stepped forward nervously, shifting his books and illustration in his arms.

 

“It’s such an honour to —“ Eren began, but stopped abruptly when he looked up to look at his writing idol, only to see the grumpy Vampire from earlier in the week sitting at the desk, ubiquitous cravat in place and a pen twirling absently in pale hands. He had a rather apathetic expression on his face, even if his eyes did widen in recognition at Eren’s appearance.

 

“Levi?” he asked, confusedly. Belatedly, Eren’s malfunctioning brain put two and two together, and he realised that Levi was his favourite author using a pseudonym. _Levente Rivaille is French - I didn’t think 18th century France, though.’_ He thought bemusedly. 

 

“You’re Rivaille?” 

 

Levi looked Eren up and down before sighing and answering. “Yes, obviously. You’re… a fan? Didn’t peg you for the reading sort.” 

 

Eren flushed slightly, before nodding and ignoring the quip. Levi wasn’t what he’d expected at all, but ultimately he was insanely in love with the _Titan Wars_ series, and he was meeting his favourite author in the flesh. Mentally getting himself together, he stepped closer to the table, placing his illustration and the well-thumbed copy of his book on it. 

 

“I am, yeah. Shit, you’re my favourite author. I really love the Titan Wars.” He explained, trying not to fidget under the level gaze Levi was sending him. “Sorry, do you think you could sign these?” he asked, pushing the items across the table. 

  
Levi nodded, flipping the book open and signing the inside of the hardcover. He moved to take the illustration, and paused. Levi stared at the piece, and Eren felt his throat close up in nervousness. 

 

_Holy shit I should never have printed it it’s probably so ugly he doesn’t want to sign it and acknowledge it - what do I do now is there any way for me to take it back? Shit -_

 

“Eren, right?” Levi said, still looking at his print with intensity. Eren nodded, somewhat pleased that Levi had remembered his name. “What is this?” The author gestured at the illustration.

 

Eren fidgeted, ears burning red. “It’s ah… fanart? I really love the series so I do a lot of paintings based off it… I’m sorry, you don’t have to sign it. I’ve no idea if it looks anything remotely like what you imagined but I - “ 

 

Levi cut him off with a hand to stop his blabbering, and Eren would have been terrified but there was a slight pull on Levi’s lips, so he stilled and waited for Levi to speak.

 

“It’s not bad, kid, relax.” Levi said, signing the print carefully at the bottom. Eren swore his heart exploded at the sight and knowledge that his favourite author had liked his art - had signed his art! 

 

“It actually looks a lot like how I imagined it.” Levi said matter-of-factly, handing the items back to Eren, who was currently gaping like a fish at the words. “Hey, kid, do you have a name card or something? You said you had more paintings - I’d like to see them, if you’re willing.” 

 

Eren nodded furiously, rummaging in his bag for his card case - silently thanking Mikasa who always nagged at him to bring his name cards with him everywhere “Just in case,” she had said - and passed a card _(Blue-green, with white blocky typography ‘EREN JAEGER - Illustration’ along with his contact details)_ over to Levi excitedly.

  
The author flipped the card over in his hands, raising an eyebrow and looking up at Eren. “Matches your eyes.” the author said, tucking the card into the inner pocket of his jacket. Eren blushed slightly at the words, and gathered his things in preparation to leave - already aware of the impatient muttering from the people waiting behind him in line.

 

“Alright kid, I’ll be in touch. Thanks for reading.” The last part was said with irony, and Eren grinned at the coincidence and at the successful interaction with the author. 

 

Smiling and thanking the the vampire once again as he left the queue, a grin on his lips as he ran through the conversation he’d had with Levi, mentally replaying the moment the vampire had said ‘ _It’s not bad’_ about his artwork, and unexpectedly, the words _‘Matches your eyes’_ , kept ringing around in Eren’s head. He flushed, cheeks staining dark, and left the bookstore.

 

* * *

 

Later that day, while having dinner with Armin and Mikasa, Eren’s phone buzzed in his pocket. When he pulled it out to check, he saw an unfamiliar number, and a new messaged that made him grin like a maniac. 

 

**Unknown Number:**

_This is Levi. Are you free tomorrow?_

 

Eren quickly saved the number under Levi’s name and replied.

 

**Eren Jaeger:**

Yeah sure - what time’s good for you?

 

**Levi:**

4:30. Maria’s Coffee & Tea - the one near the bookstore. Bring your work.

 

**Eren Jaeger:**

****Alright, see you there!

 

“Eren, what’re you grinning at?” Armin asked, pulling Eren out of his reverie. Scratching the back of his head, he explained excitedly that Rivaille had liked his artwork and asked to see the rest, so he was meeting him for coffee tomorrow. 

 

“That’s great, Eren. What’s he like?” Armin asked. 

Eren paused, and eventually settled for, “He’s short, and grumpier than I expected.” At that, even Mikasa laughed. Eren decided to omit the fact that Levi was a vampire - he was sure that Mikasa wouldn’t like the idea. They laughed and joked over dinner, Eren feeling no small amount of excitement at meeting Levi again. 

 

“ _Maybe I’ll get to ask some questions about the books_ ,” he thought to himself, and mentally reminded himself to iron out a shirt properly.

 

* * *

 

The next day at 4:24 found Eren appraising himself self-consciously as he sat by the cafe’s window. He was in a loose sweater, the collar gaping around his collarbones, and distressed jeans tucked neatly into a pair of lace-up boots. He was trying in vain to flatten his perpetually messy hair when he saw somebody approaching. He looked up to see Levi settling into the seat opposite him, and tried not to stare at the unexpected sight of a pale neck, no longer hidden by the ever-present cravat. Levi was dressed casually for once - a dark sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal muscled forearms.

 

‘ _Holy shit, he’s really hot,’_ thought Eren dumbly as he raised a hand in greeting.

 

Levi nodded and flagged down a waiter, placing an order for coffee. Eren chimed in with his order, laughing a bit at Levi’s expression of judgement at the sweet beverage he’d ordered. He slid his laptop so it was facing Levi slightly, and opened up the image files of his compiled _Titan Wars_ artworks. 

 

“Uh, here’s all the stuff I did based on the Titan Wars. I’ve actually got a few based on your other works, but that’s a bit more abstract.” 

 

Levi leaned in, silver eyes scanning the pieces intently, clicking through them before commenting, “You paint very well. Actually, this piece looks just like a painting from the 18th Century.” He was commenting on a portrait he did of Queen Historia, one of the characters from _The Titan Wars._  

 

Eren smiled, remembering the few hours he’d painted his friend, Crista Lenz for the piece. 

 

“Yeah, I was actually referencing a lot of old french painters - Louise Élisabeth, for example. I really wanted it to look like somebody painted a royal portrait for the Reiss Monarchy.” He paused, cringing a little inside as he realised that most people didn’t really care to hear his nerdy art fanboy spiel. When he looked up, though, there was no judgement in Levi’s eyes, just some amusement. Eren supposed that as an author, Levi might appreciate how invested he was in the series and its characters.

 

“Yeah, I can see what you mean about referencing Louise - you painted this just like her.” Levi said. Something about the way he worded that sentence made Eren pause, and as he realised that Levi was actually alive during the time - and he couldn’t help but blurt out, half curious and half in denial, “Don’t tell me you knew her?” 

 

Levi smiled - actually honest-to-god _smiled_ \- at his words, lips pulled into a smirk with a hint of teeth. For a moment Eren forgot what he was about to say at the unexpected sight, but Levi spoke again.

 

“Yes, I knew her. I see you’ve just realised what its like when you know actual vampires that have lived for too fucking long.” said the man, evidently amused by Eren’s gaping fish impression.

 

“You _knew_ Louise Élisabeth? _The_ painter to Marie Antoinette? Oh my god you’re not fucking joking. What was she like? I don’t believe it she was basically the most important painter of that century -how even?”

 

Levi chuckled, and said, “I didn’t know her well - met her once or twice. She was smart, and took no bullshit. I liked her as much as I did her art.” 

 

Eren was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Levi had actually lived that long - it was one thing to be told that vampires lived for centuries, but another to have an actual yardstick by which to measure that sense of time. 

 

“Wow,” Eren said, not knowing what else to add. His reaction seemed to have broken any lingering awkwardness, though, so he settled further into his seat and drank his coffee, not entirely sure how he managed to be sitting at a table with his favourite author who just happened to be a vampire and had actually met one of the artists he’d studied in his own Art History class. Speaking of being a vampire…

 

“I wanted to ask… is Levente Rivaille your real name or is it just a pen-name? Why Levente?” Eren ventured - he was unsure if it was rude, but the question had been nagging at him for the longest time - it wasn’t really a common name, and he’d wondered if there was some meaning behind it. Levi looked surprised at the question, but replied after a measured pause. 

 

“It’s… one of my names, from another time. Levi’s actually derivative of Levente. I’ve used a few pseudonyms already. Vampires weren’t exactly well thought of back then, and besides, people get suspicious if an author keeps churning out books after a few hundred years.”

 

“Anyways, I didn’t call you out randomly to give out anecdotes.” Levi said, looking up at Eren intently, “The piece you showed me yesterday - with the Colossal Titan over Wall Maria - it looked almost exactly like I pictured. The rest of your work, too - it’s closer to what’s in my mind than anything I’ve seen so far. I’m interested in hiring you to do illustrations for the next book. And if it goes well, I might want to publish another edition of the series once it’s complete - with cover art. Are you interested, kid?”

 

Eren stared.

 

He wasn’t sure he had heard Levi correctly. Levi - Levente Rivaille, bestselling author of _The Titan Wars_ wanted him, a recent graduate and basically nobody in the art industry - to illustrate a cover for his book. ‘ _Holy fucking shit_ ,’ Eren thought.

 

“You’re serious?” he couldn’t help but ask. Levi just sent him an annoyed look in reply. 

“Yes,” Eren said breathlessly, “A thousand times, yes. It’d be an honour, shit, I don’t believe it.”

 

Levi nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. They discussed the project, Levi telling Eren some of the details of the upcoming book, at which Eren had reacted perfectly, shock and excitement evident on his face at some of the major plot points. They discussed designs and concepts, and despite himself, Levi found Eren’s obvious love for his characters rather endearing, and it warmed him up to the boy considerably.

 

Eren tried valiantly to remember what his teachers had taught him about contracts and industry-appropriate procedures. 

 

“So I’ll draw up a contract and we’ll go over it again? Once we’ve agreed on everything we can start.” Eren asked, reminding himself to ask Armin for help. Levi agreed, and they parted ways after paying for their drinks (or rather, Levi paid, making an offhand remark about how it was less hassle.), Eren promising that he’d get back to Levi within the coming week. 

 

When he reached home, he burst into the living room, a huge grin on his face as he called for his best friend. 

 

“ARMIN!” he yelled, and soon enough his blonde friend and housemate appeared in the hallway, book in hand and face exasperated.

 

“What is it, Eren?” he asked, before noticing Eren’s expression. “What happened and why are you smiling like that?” he asked warily.

 

“Armin! Levi - I mean, Rivaille, he wants me to do the cover art for the next _Titan War_ book! Can you believe it? Holy shit I don’t believe it. I need to thank you - you’re the one who told me to bring my artwork! But more importantly, Armin, I need your help - I don’t know how to draw up a contract?” The words left Eren’s mouth in a rush, and he couldn’t stop grinning when he saw Armin register what he’d said. 

 

He bounded across the livingroom floor to wrap Armin in a bear hug, squashing his smaller friend. “This is amaizing!” 

 

Armin extracted himself from Eren’s overenthusiastic grip, laughing. “Congratulations, Eren. This is great news - Mikasa’s going to be ecstatic, too. C’mon, lets go get dinner, we can talk about it then.” 

 

Eren nodded, face hurting slightly from smiling so widely. He couldn’t help it, though, it was something amazing, not only did he have a major job after a few months of small illustration jobs, it was for something he was a huge fan of. Meeting and interacting with the author himself had been a surprise, but despite his initial intimidation, he found the man interesting to talk to, and Eren really wanted to find out if there were any other famous people Levi had met. 

 

He smiled to himself, abruptly thinking of his pale forearms and look of an unexpected smile on Levi’s stern features, before shaking his head and heading out the door after Armin. This was going to be a good week.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading and writing in! I'm so sorry for the wait. 
> 
> Not much actual vampire-related stuff here, actually. I know Artist!Eren and Writer!Levi has been done in various iterations, and I hope I'm not being too repetitive. Honestly I like to write Eren as an artist because I do art. Also Levi being a writer seemed to fit, as an occupation he could do over the many long years in his vampire life. I figure he could have just kept changing pen-names after every few decades. (Eren later finds out that quite a few of his favourite old literature books were actually written by Levi, haha.)
> 
> Also, Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun was a French painter recognised as the most important female painter of the 18th century. (I also picked 18th century loosely because of Levi's cravat, but nobody really needs to know that.) 
> 
> The title for this chapter is also a musical term, loosely meaning 'a little more quickly'.
> 
> Lastly, I know 'Levente Rivaille' sounds a little Gary Sue, but I took Levente off the SnK Wiki - ("Levi" is also a diminutive of the Hungarian given name "Levente", which means "existing".) because I wanted a pen-name that wasn't solely 'Rivaille'.
> 
> Cheers, I hope you enjoyed reading! <3


	3. Adante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren starts to work on the illustrations for Levi. During this time, they start getting to know each other a little bit more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I'd like to thank everyone who has waited for me to update, I know it's been forever. Thank you for the patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 3:**

 

The final battle, a huge carcass on the ground, smoke billowing on the breeze, the smell of ash on the air. Desperation. Hope. Justice.

 

Eren was muttering these things to himself as he quickly pencilled in values and shapes on paper. He thought of humanity’s freedom, he thought about his favourite characters and their fight. His palms were already shiny with graphite, but the sketches were coming along well. It had been a week since he’d finalised and signed the contract with Levi, and he had been spending his days obsessively going through the document that Levi had sent him, drawing inspiration from the scant details of the last book. 

 

He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile, surveying his sketch and declaring it done. He’d done fairly detailed sketches in different angles with different motifs, and he wondered which one Levi would like. He was still scrutinising the rest of his sketches when Armin came into his room to lean over his shoulder. 

 

“Wow, Eren. The third one over there with the burning flag - I really like that one. That’s something to do with the false monarchy and the Reiss family, doesn’t it?” Armin asked. Eren grinned slyly at Armin in reply. Before he could answer, Armin held up a hand to stop him.

 

“Actually wait, no spoilers please. The battleground one is also really dramatic, I like that one the most… Stop worrying, by the way,” Armin added, noticing the slight furrowing of his brows, “These are amazing, I’m sure he’ll like them. Oh, by the way - I’m making lunch, do you want any?”

Eren huffed, laughing a bit at Armin’s nonchalance at his nervousness. 

“I can’t help it - this is a big thing, you know? And I can’t help but feel that I’m not good enough to draw these.” He sighed.

 

Armin smiled. He’d known Eren since forever, and despite how brash and stubborn Eren seemed, he had always been a bit self-doubting when it came to his art. Then again, it seemed more like an artist thing than an Eren thing. 

 

“Eren, if he didn’t like your work, he wouldn’t have hired you. You graduated almost at the top of your cohort as well. I know you’re a fan, but you’re also a professional. Don’t worry, you’ve got this. Now, is pasta alright?” 

 

Eren smiled, a little more easily this time, “You’re right, Armin. Thanks. I’m just going to scan these real quick and email him - then I’ll come help. Pasta sounds great.” 

 

—-

 

A week later, Eren found himself packing his laptop, sketchbook and tablet and walking to Maria’s Coffee & Tea. Levi had replied to his email, picking a sketch and giving a few comments on the design before telling Eren that he could go ahead and start on the some coloured mockups. Eren had previously been holed up at home to the extent that he was going stir crazy, and both Armin and Mikasa were busy with school and work respectively, so Eren decided to get out of the house instead of fidgeting about at home. 

 

’Plus, if I get stuck I can do some cafe drawing, too…” he thought to himself as he settled into a corner table and set up his laptop and tablet. Opening up the scanned image of his final sketch, he started doing a cleaner lifework on a new layer, intermittently sipping at his hot chocolate. Two hours passed fairly pleasantly, the hum and chatter of the cafe and drawing something he was inspired to do freed Eren from his earlier restlessness. 1 o'clock came, and with it the lunch crowd. Eren decided to give his wrists a rest and order lunch, thereby extending his unofficial rental of the table space during a crowded time. While absentmindedly doodling an old lady seated nearby, he was surprised when he noticed a familiar figure in the cafe, holding onto a cup of coffee and looking decidedly seat-less. 

 

“Levi! ” he called, waving. The author’s eyes snapped up to look at him. Eren suppressed a shiver at the intensity of the authors pale gaze. Upon recognising Eren, he made his way through the crowded cafe, sliding into the seat opposite. The vampire was dressed casually again, and Eren took a moment to admire the sight of Levi in jeans before the view was obscured by the table between them.

 

“Here for lunch?” he asked.

 

Levi shook his head, grimacing, “Just wanted somewhere to work. Didn’t think it would be this full.” Levi paused, looking at Eren’s set up, laptop connected to one of the few power points in the cafe. “You’ve been here long?”

 

“Yeah, I came in the morning to take the most prized position so I could charge my laptop,” He grinned, “You could stay, if you need a table – I’m working so I’ll be quiet.”

 

Levi paused, considering, and nodded. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

 

Levi took out a notebook and a pen and started writing in it, quickly becoming engrossed in whatever he was doing. Eren was sorely tempted to ask what it was, but instinctively knew that that would just be extremely annoying to Levi. He switched to doodling the author as he ate his lunch, engrossed in the sharp, pale features of the vampire seated before him. ‘ _You can’t really tell that he’s a vampire from looks alone, can you?’_ he thought, mentally tracing the curve of Levi’s shoulder in pen. _‘Though his skin is really pale. Speaking of Vampires, is the Sun thing for real…?’ He’s out and it’s sunny today, though…’_

 

“I spend a lot on sunscreen each month,” came the deadpan reply.

 

Eren choked. “Sorry - I wasn’t really - “ he began, flustered upon realising that he’d been thinking aloud. Levi didn’t look particularly annoyed or angry, though, so Eren settled further into his chair and tried not to cringe.

 

“The sun thing is mainly hyper-photosensitivity and rapid sunburn. Sunscreen and sunglasses work pretty well. We eat and drink like normal people, too,” Levi said, “But if we don’t drink blood we quickly become malnourished.” he added, upon looking at Eren’s confused expression. 

 

“Ah yes, I did wonder about the food thing,” Eren said, sheepish. 

 

Levi just snorted and went back to his book. Eren chuckled, taking that as the end of their conversation, and went back to working the illustration on his laptop. The rest of the day passed in silence, punctuated only by the scratching of Levi’s pen on his paper, and the tapping of Eren’s tablet and keyboard. The silence was not uncomfortable, and Eren found himself surprised at the ease with which he could sink into his project, while the vampire keeping him company across the small table made him feel less lonely. The scenario somehow managed to make him very productive, and by the time the sky outside darkened, he’d gotten a fair bit of work done. 

 

Eren stretched languidly, rotating his wrists and neck as he put down his stylus and leant back into his chair with a satisfied sigh. Levi looked up from his writing and peered at Eren. 

 

“Done for the day?” the vampire asked. 

 

Eren nodded. “Yeah. More like I’m hungry. Anyways I’ve got the some rough colours done, want to take a look, since you’re here?” he asked, grinning. Levi nodded and came around the table to lean over his shoulder to peer at his computer screen. Eren blinked, surprised at the proximity and the crisp, clean smell that came with it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see pale collarbones as Levi’s shirt gaped as he leant forward. There were a few freckles just under Levi’s right collarbone, and upon realising that he’d been ogling his client, Eren forcibly jerked his head back to his computer screen, hoping desperately that he wasn’t noticeably red. 

 

“It’s good,” said Levi, who was unaware of Eren’s internal turmoil, “I find the lighting a bit too warm, though. It needs to be starker, I think.”

 

Eren looked back at his illustration, and created a Colour Balance adjustment layer on the file, tweaking the values a little. “Something… like this? More like an afternoon sun.” he asked, glancing up at Levi. Levi nodded, eyes still focused on the screen. 

 

“Yeah, that’s about right.” he said, and while the author’s expression was still deadpan, Eren thought he could detect some measure of approval in those smoke-coloured eyes. He grinned, and was about to say something when his phone started buzzing. Armin was calling him. He shot Levi an apologetic look and answered the call.

 

“Hey, whats up?” he said. 

 

“Hi Eren, I’m going to be stuck in school late tonight, so you’re on your own for dinner. If you’re out can you get some eggs? Sorry, I know it’s kind of last-minute.” said Armin, who sounded stressed.

 

“No problem. Don’t worry, I’ll figure dinner out. No, I won’t burn down the house, it was _one time_ , Armin. Don’t die in school. Yeah. See you.” he answered, ending the call. 

 

When he looked up at Levi again, the author looked amused. “Roommate?” he asked. Eren flushed a little, nodding. “Looks like I’m on my own for dinner. Um,” he paused, wondering if he was being over-friendly. Then again, Levi could always decline if he didn’t want to. “Do you wanna get dinner? If you’re free?” he asked.

 

Levi paused in packing his things, considering Eren’s offer. Taking out his phone, he checked his messages, all of which were from Hanji, who, upon finding out that he was with Eren, demanded that Levi take him back with him for dinner. 

 

Levi sighed and tapped a quick affirmative reply. “I’m meeting Hanji for dinner, they asked if you want to join us, if you still want to meet with someone who tried to eat you when you met,” he said dryly.

 

Eren grinned, remembering the overenthusiastic Hanji. “Sure, I like Hanji. Hanji’s funny.”  
Levi snorted, looking at Eren a little incredulously. “Come on, then.” 

 

——

 

Dinner was at a nice place on the vampire side of town, a quiet place that served both food and blood. Hanji waved enthusiastically when they saw Eren, greeting him with a cheeky, “Hey Eren! You’re looking tasty today as well!” 

 

Eren blushed and laughed, scratching the back of his neck slightly nervously. “Hi Hanji! Thanks for inviting me.” 

 

“No problem!” They said, “What were you doing with Levi, anyways? I haven’t seen him in ages because of work, and before I know it you guys are all chummy?” Hanji turned mock-betrayed eyes in Levi’s direction, which the latter steadfastly ignored with the finesse of somebody who had been dealing with such antics for _decades_.

 

Hanji was delighted to find out that Eren had been commissioned to work on Levi’s book, and spent most of dinner chatting to Eren and finding out about him. Levi seemed content to drink his blood and eat his dinner in silence, watching Eren carefully and interjecting every so often with a word or two. 

 

Eren thought he would have been more unnerved by the sight of people drinking blood as he had his dinner, but surprisingly enough, after Levi’s explanation, his mind seemed to have accepted it as more of a dietary quirk than something creepy. He knew that most of society found it disgusting, though, and the thought of Mikasa’s overprotective tendencies kept him quiet about the blood status of his new acquaintances. 

  
That being said, the company and conversation was enjoyable despite how recently he’d met the two, though it was helped along by Eren managing to trigger one of Hanji’s enthusiastic research-related monologues, and consequently learning more about genetic markers than he had ever wanted to know. 

 

When he looked at Levi pleadingly, the vampire had just smirked and continued eating, as if to say ‘You asked for it, kid.” The originally taciturn vampire seemed to loosen up after being in Hanji’s company for an extended period of time, and Eren didn’t find him half as intimidating when he realised that Levi was sarcastic as a default speech pattern. 

 

“Anyways Levi, I’m surprised that you want illustrations on your book covers in the first place,” Hanji began, changing the subject yet again, “Why now? You’ve refused every illustrator your publisher sent your way.” 

 

Levi paused midway through taking a sip from his glass. He frowned, and after deliberating for a moment, he said, “I’ve never seen any art that looked like the world in my mind. Except Eren’s - his work is for some reason really close to the images in my head.” Levi paused, looking at Eren appraisingly, “It’s almost creepy, actually. Not to mention he’s good enough to reproduce those images.” he added. 

 

Eren was, at this point, trying not to babble incoherent thanks and conduct himself like a professional. Some of his feelings must have shown on his face, because he felt his ears going red at Levi’s words. 

 

“Oooh look at his face, Levi!” laughed Hanji, as they leaned over the table to ruffle his hair. Eren bore it with good grace, mouthing a silent _thank you_ in Levi’s direction, to which the vampire just nodded. 

 

Eren spent the rest of the night with a bubble of warmth in his chest - it was rare that he heard such straightforward praise about his work, from somebody who wasn’t Mikasa or Armin. He had spent such a long time over whether he was ‘good enough’ to work professionally as an artist, let alone work with someone as prolific as Levi, but now it seemed to sink in that he was getting interesting work, and that clients valued his art. 

 

He grinned, cheeks still warm as he replied simply, “It’s the books that inspire me, anyways.”

 

Levi merely nodded in reply, but Eren was almost certain that he saw a hint of a smile on those pale lips.

 

——

 

 

A few days after the dinner with Hanji and Levi, Eren got an unexpected text while lazing around at home.

 

**Levi:**

Do you think humanity is worth saving? 

 

Eren spent a few moments staring at the text before deciding that he didn’t have the brainpower to decipher why Levi would ask him, of all people, to answer a question like that. Deciding to reply, Eren began typing.

 

**Eren Jaeger:**

Afternoon. Yes it’s worth saving.

 

**Levi:**

****Even if it’s full of liars and murderers, and people who would sacrifice innocents even if it means their own lives are saved?

 

**Eren Jaeger:**

****Even so, yes. My family and friends are part of humanity, too, right? Humanity is worth saving if it means those few people are saved,  I think.

 

**Levi:**

What did you get up to when you were a kid?

 

Eren blinked. After a few minutes of waiting yielded no explanation, he decided to just roll with whatever Levi was doing.

 

**Eren Jaeger:**

Played video games with Armin? Got into fights a lot, I suppose. Why?

 

**Levi:**

I need to write a flashback scene and I needed some references for an average kid’s childhood activities.

 

Eren couldn’t help himself, he burst out laughing at the text, earning an exasperated look from Armin, who was studying across from him. He couldn’t imagine Levi as a child at all, and the image of Levi trying to figure out kid’s activities was unfairly hilarious.

 

——-

 

Levi looked at his phone intently, noting some of Eren’s replies in his notebook and expanding on them for his protagonist’s speech. When he looked up from his book, Hanji was staring at him across the table, a strange expression on their face.

 

“What?” he asked them shortly.

 

Hanji grinned, “You’re texting somebody.” 

  
Levi frowned, and said, “I text, it happens. I thought we were over this years ago?” 

 

Hanji laughed, waving his reply away, “Is it Eren? You’ve taken a liking to him, haven’t you?” 

 

When Levi didn’t reply immediately, Hanji let out a whoop of laughter, startling some nearby people. 

 

“It _is_ Eren! Levi, you sly dog, you like him! When are you going to bring him to dinner again?” they asked obnoxiously, grinning madly.

 

“Hanji, I’m texting the kid for work, lay off, I don’t like him.” he replied irritably. 

 

“Aah, that’s right,” said Hanji airily, “You don’t like people because you have no soul. But, if you did, I’m sure this counts as liking someone, Levi - When’s the last time you talked to somebody and didn’t immediately want to maim them?”

 

Levi paused. Hanji had a point - it must have been at least a few decades since he’d interacted willingly with somebody who wasn’t part of his vampiric acquaintances. Eren was more tolerable to him than most  –  He was sincere in his actions and speech, and while extremely young in comparison to Levi, the boy’s attitude and work ethic, not to mention his obvious, unpretentious love for Levi’s work had Levi holding Eren in rather high regard, for a relatively new acquaintance. 

 

Levi’s phone buzzed again. He glanced down - a text from Eren. Hanji sent him a knowing grin, which he ignored. Looking at the text, he snorted. It figured Eren would be the type to get into fights as a kid. Levi could barely remember what he did as a child, but what he did remember was emphatically ill-suited for his protagonist’s backstory. His protagonist was far more overly-passionate. He thought for awhile, considering Eren’s reply, before working on his document, rapidly typing at his draft, trying to ignore Hanji’s words. Eren was just somebody he was working with for his books, nothing more. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha Levi please who do you think you're kidding. *evil mad laughter* 
> 
> Thank you for reading! A notice - I can't exactly guarantee the update schedule for this fic - school has just started again, and I'm working through some personal things right now. That being said, I'm on tumblr at porcelain-blue.tumblr.com, and I post drabbles, prompts, doodles and life updates, slightly more often than chapters for Cadence, if only because I don't have to worry about plot problems with oneshots. 
> 
> All my love, and a very Happy New Year to you all. <3


End file.
